Cocktails, Shakespeare and dragon boats: Your Oakland weekend guide

The weekend is here again, and you won't want to let the fun in Oakland pass you by. The Eat Real Fest returns, Romeo and Juliet hits the stage, Oakland Cocktail Week starts and the Dragon Boat Fest is here again, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

10th Annual Eat Real Festival

Photo: Eat Real Festival/Facebook

Now a decade in, the Eat Real Festival combines a state fair, a street-food fest and a block party to support the Food Craft Institute, which helps develop and support small businesses in the sustainable food industry.

Visitors will be able to enjoy dozens of local food vendors, craft beer and cocktails, along with live mural painting, DJs and a family zone with a circus workshop for kids. And if you're looking to make your own eats, there are on-site classes in everything from pickling to cheesemaking to butchery.

'Romeo & Juliet' in Oakland

Shakespeare's well-known story of star-crossed lovers caught up in the rivalry between two families is coming to Oakland in a reimagined two-hour version with just six actors -- and absolutely no set.

Led by an all-female creative team helmed by director Rebecca S'manga Frank, the production from nonprofit Fractured Atlas is aiming to be accessible to everyone, with "pay what you can" pricing for many performances.

Oakland Cocktail Week

Photo: Oakland Cocktail Week/Facebook

Starting this weekend and continuing through the end of next weekend, Oakland Cocktail Week will spotlight $10 cocktails at participating bars and restaurants like Plum Bar, CDP, The Terrace Room, Kincaid's and more. There's also an array of special events like cocktail pairing dinners, a mai tai crawl and a mezcal tasting.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), which aims to improve pay and working conditions for restaurant employees, particularly employees of color.

The 23rd Annual International Dragon Boat Festival

The 23rd Annual Kaiser Permanente Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival will take place this weekend at Lake Merritt. The 40-foot dragon boats will provide a colorful display of culture as they race across the lake to the sounds of beating drums and cheering fans.

Besides the dragon boat races, the festival includes cultural entertainment, food vendors and a marketplace. Families with kids can check out Dragon Land, with activities like making a dancing dragon, creating giant sunglasses and more.